Method of producing carbon or lampblack.



G. FERNBKES.

METHOD or PRODUGING CARBON 0R LAMPBLACK.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 1, 1911.

1,066,894.. Patented'July 8, 1913.

s n un UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE IQEEIILNEKES, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 JOHN A. SNEE, 0F WEST ELIZABETH, PENNSYLVANIA.

'METHOD 'OF .PRUDUCING CARBON OR LAMPBLACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July s, 1913'.

. applicati@ med may 1, 1911. serial No. 624,353.

a To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE FERNEKES, a citizen, of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county-of Allegheny-and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements vin Methods of Producing Carbon or Lampblack; and I do declare the following to fbe a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains 'to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the let-- ters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates tothe production of carbon or lamp black from gaseous` hydrocarbons, .particularly natural gas, and

the basis of the invention is my discos/any;

t-hat immediate and substantially complete dissociation of methane results when a stream of gas containing the same is discharged into a heat zone of `not less than 1,300O C., tsuch zone being maintained at or as near atmospheric pressure as possible. A further feature of my discovery'is that the resulting carbon black is chemically pure, none of the intermediate products such as naphthalene being produced, this being due as I believe Lto immediately `or suddenly subjecting the whole of the gaseous stream to a much higher heat than that at which such products form. With the carbon black free from impurities it need not be calcined, an

operation heretofore necessary where chemically pure carbon produced from methane is desired. I have ound that temperatures below 1,300o C. are riot-effective, and the best results are attainedwith 1,700 C. and upward.

The process is preferably practised in a flame-excluded chamber or retort which' is capable of withstanding the requisite high heat, in apparatus of desirable construction the chamber being formed of alundum and provided with electrical heating means.

A form of apparatus for practising the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 being a sectional plan of the same, and Fig. 2 4alt sectional elevation taken through the longitudinal axis of the retort. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail of the scraper.

Referring tothe drawings, the furnace structure l iS'Blilt up Of Suitable refractory in YFigs. v1 and 2.

material, being hollow at 2 to receive the tubular retort 4, the ends of which protrude, and extending downwardly from these-ends are the carbon ducts-6 which discharge -through dampers 9 into receivers 10. -The furnace structure l is formed with heating chamber 3 which intersects a considerableI portion-of cavity 2. Entered in opposite end openings 16 of chamber' 3 are electrodes 14 to which are connected circuit wires 15 from a source of electrical energy. The space between the electrodes and surrounding retort 4 is filled with resistance material, preferably broken carbon, as shown Natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon containing :methane is admitted to retort 4 through pipe 11, the flow being 4regulated lby -valve 12. Rctor't 4 is .formed of highly refractory material, alundum being suitable as it will withstand approximately 2,000o C.

In practising the process with the apparatus described, retort 4 is heated to the requisite temperature, the resistance material with a current of sufficient amperes sustaining th-e retort at such heat as is required, which should not be below 1,300 C. and which may run as high as 2,000n C., a desirable working temperature being about 1,700o C. The methaneqfowing from pipe `vl1-1 into the high heat @elle thus maintained .is'instantly decomposed'a'nd separated into its elements, carbon and hydrogen, the

former of light tlocculent character floating fand settling in retort 4, and the hydrogen gas passing off through outlets 18 which may be controlled by valves 19. A scraper 7 tting bore 5 of retort 4, and actuated by rod 8 may be utilized for moving the accumulated carbon toward one end or the other of the retort where it is discharged downwardly through ducts 6 into receivers 10. Openings 7 through the scraper afford free passage for the gas. While dampers 9 are normally closed to prevent air from circulating in the retort, they are nevertheless opened quite frequently to pass the carbon, so that there is no opportunity for p-ressure to accumulate in the retort, andvhence the dissociating process is conducted as nearly as possible at atmosphericpressure. Working conditions are thus more easily maintained; in fact sustained pressure within the retort would be disadvantageous as it would retard segregation of the gas. The

dissociation is complete, being accomplished instantly and as rapidly as the stream of methane flows into the retort. Furthermore, and as a result of the Anew process, the carbon is chemically pure, none of the intermediate products, such as naphthalene, forming in the high dissociating temperature. Thus the carbon is free from impurities and subsequent calcining, heretofore necessary in order to obtain chemically pure carbon from methane, is rendered unnecessary.

Apparatus for practising the process may be variously constructed and arranged, with the retort disposed horizontally or other- Wise, as may be preferred.

l. The process of producing lamp black from .methane which consists in subjecting methane immediately Ato a temperature which dissociates it into carbon and hydro-4 gen without producing intermediate products. 2. The process of producing lamp black from methane which consists in immediately subjecting methane at substantially atmospheric pressure to a temperature which dissociates it into carbon and hydrogen.

3. The production of lamp black Vfrom methane by a continuous process which consists in passing a stream of methanev into a zone of suliciently high temperature to immediately and completely dlssociate it into-'carbon and hydrogen.

4. The production of lamp black from methane by a continuous process which consists in passing a stream of methane into va zone of substantiall atmospheric pressure and of suiciently high temperature to immediately dissociate the `methane into carbon and hydrogen Without producing intermediate products. i

'5. The process of producing lamp black from methane which consists in immediately subjecting it to a temperature of not less than 1,300o C.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVE FERNEKES.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. SNEE, F. J. KORRIGAN. 

